New Delhi, Jan. 13 -- Justice BV Nagarathna struck down Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, describing corruption as a "cancerous growth" corroding moral standards and governmental administration, and calling upon the youth and children of India to reject wealth acquired beyond known sources of income.

Her opinion penned a broader reflection on societal decay, as Justice Nagarathna traced the rise of corruption to unchecked greed, envy and ostentatious displays of wealth. She warned that the "mad race of becoming rich overnight" and the glorification of material superiority have distorted values and normalised illegal accumulation of assets. Such tendencies, she said, must be curbed not merely through law but by inculc...